Drug delivery device with compressible drug reservoir

ABSTRACT

A drug delivery device ( 50 ) is provided comprising a drug reservoir ( 10 ) and a piston ( 11 ). The drug reservoir ( 10 ) is provided for comprising a drug and comprises a flexible wall ( 22 ) and a dispensing hole ( 15 ) for dispensing the drug into an environment of the drug delivery device ( 50 ). The piston ( 11 ) is provide for pressing against the flexible wall ( 22 ) to compress the drug reservoir ( 10 ) for pushing an amount of the drug through the dispensing hole ( 15 ). An adhesion interface ( 51 ) between a surface of the piston ( 11 ) and the flexible wall ( 22 ) prevents sliding between the surface of the piston ( 11 ) and the flexible wall ( 22 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a drug delivery device, comprising a piston and a drug reservoir for comprising a drug and a piston. The drug reservoir comprises a flexible wall, and a dispensing hole for dispensing the drug into an environment of the drug delivery device. The piston is arranged for pressing against the flexible wall to compress the drug reservoir for pushing an amount of the drug through the dispensing hole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such a drug delivery device may comprise a small sized electrical motor, e.g. stepper motor, of which the action is controlled by an on-board microprocessor. The stepper motor moves the piston forward against the wall, e.g. pushed by a screw rod mechanism. The piston is moved in a controlled way as far as speed and stroke are considered. The piston pushes the flexible wall into the drug reservoir. As a result, the volume of the drug reservoir decreases and the pressure inside the drug reservoir increases. The increasing pressure causes an amount of the drug to be pushed out of the dispensing hole. While the piston pushes the flexible wall into the drug reservoir, it takes a shape that corresponds to minimum surface energy. Such shapes usually are irregular, resulting in a smaller usable drug reservoir volume and a higher resistance for the piston to move forward. When the drug reservoir becomes emptier, the flexible wall starts to fold until the piston can no longer overcome resistance from the folds and the drug viscosity and stops dispensing. When the piston stops dispensing, drugs stay behind in the folds. Consequently, it is not possible to fully empty the drug reservoir. Additionally, there is a problem of the piston sliding along the folded flexible wall surface without causing any drug to be pushed out of the dispensing hole because the piston mechanism cannot be effective.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a drug delivery device as described above, wherein the drug reservoir can be emptied more reliably.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by providing a drug delivery device, comprising a drug reservoir, a piston and an adhesion interface. The drug reservoir comprises a flexible wall and a dispensing hole for dispensing the drug into an environment of the drug delivery device. The piston is arranged for pressing against the flexible wall to compress the drug reservoir for pushing an amount of the drug through the dispensing hole. The adhesion interface is situated between a surface of the piston and the flexible wall for preventing sliding between the surface of the piston and the flexible wall.

The adhesion interface keeps the flexible wall surface conformed to the piston surface and prevents both surfaces from slipping between each other. With every step of the piston into the flexible wall and in the direction of the delivery hole, a greater part of its surface gets covered by and adheres to the flexible wall surface. The flexible wall surface does not fold, but is slid around the piston surface.

The adhesion interface may, e.g., be a sticky coating on the piston surface and/or on the flexible wall. Alternatively, a magnetic coating is used on at least one of the two surfaces for providing the required adhesion.

In a preferred embodiment, the flexible wall comprises at least one non-flexible part located at the adhesion interface. An advantage of a non-flexible part is that it cannot be folded or wrinkled. When the piston pushes against a non-flexible part, its shape does not change. The flexible parts of the flexible wall meanwhile ensure that the flexible wall as a whole is still deformable and can be used for compressing the drug reservoir.

In a flexible wall with only one or a few non-flexible parts, the surface of the non-flexible parts preferably follows the contours of the piston surface at the contact area of both surfaces. This ensures an optimal distribution of the pressure exerted by the piston upon the flexible wall and further facilitates the emptying of the reservoir. In addition, the preformed flexible wall makes it easier to fill the reservoir to the right dose without the piston already placed against the flexible wall.

These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a drug delivery device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a piston and an uncompressed drug reservoir,

FIGS. 3 and 4 show partially compressed drug reservoirs in a drug delivery device according to the prior art,

FIG. 5 shows a partly compressed drug reservoir in a drug delivery device according to the invention,

FIG. 6 shows a partly compressed drug reservoir with a non-flexible part in the flexible wall, and

FIG. 7 shows a partly compressed drug reservoir with multiple rigid parts in the flexible wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a drug delivery device 50 according to the invention. The drug delivery device 50 is a swallowable capsule comprising a drug to be released somewhere along the gastro-intestinal tract of a patient and an actuation mechanism 11, 12 for controlling the amount of drugs to be released and the moment of said release. It is to be noted that the current invention may also be used with implantable drug delivery devices. The drug to be released is stored in a compressible medicine reservoir 10. The drug may, e.g., be stored as dry powder, dissolved in water or as a gel or liquid.

The actuation mechanism 11, 12 comprises a piston 11 and a small sized electrical motor, e.g. a stepper motor 12, for pushing the piston by means of a screw rod mechanism towards the drug reservoir 10. Instead of a stepper motor 12, different driving means may be used for driving the piston 12. The driving of the piston 11 may, e.g., be realized using (electro-)magnetic forces or a swelling agent. When the piston 11 is pressed against the medicine reservoir 10, the medicine reservoir is compressed and the pressure inside the medicine reservoir 10 increases. As a result of the increasing pressure, the drug is pushed out of the drug delivery device 50 through a dispensing hole 15. The drug release may, e.g., be triggered by an internal clock, sensor values from a pH-sensor or trigger signals from an electrical or chemical detector element. If the drug delivery device 50 comprises means for wireless communication, the drug delivery may be externally triggered. The operations of all electronic functions of the device 50 are controlled by a microprocessor 17 and powered by a battery 16.

FIG. 2 shows a piston 11 and an uncompressed drug reservoir 10. The drug reservoir 10 comprises a rigid dome shaped cap 21 and a flexible wall 22. The drug reservoir 10 shown in FIG. 2 is an example of a drug reservoir for which the current invention would be advantageous. The invention will however also improve the emptying of other drug reservoirs 10 with a flexible wall. For example, the complete drug reservoir 10 may be flexible or the dome shaped cap 21 and/or the flexible wall 22 may have different shapes than shown in the Figure. When the piston 11 is driven into the flexible wall 22 of the drug reservoir 10, the reservoir volume is compressed and an amount of the drug is released through the delivery hole 15.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show partially compressed drug reservoirs 10 in a drug delivery device according to the prior art. In both Figures the flexible parts 22 of the drug reservoirs are compressed, while the dome shaped cap 21 keeps its shape. In FIG. 3, the flexible wall 22 has been compressed to a lesser extent than in FIG. 4. In FIG. 3 it is already visible that, due to uneven surface tension, the flexible wall shape does not conform to the piston 11 profile. This will result in an increased resistance for the piston 11 and drugs staying behind in folds of the flexible wall 22. As can be seen in FIG. 4, uneven surface tension and drug viscosity may cause the flexible wall 22 of a half full drug reservoir 10 to form multiple folds. Such folds increase the resistance to the piston 11 and may completely stop the dispensing of the drugs. In addition, the folds reduce the contact area between the flexible wall 22 and the piston 11, leading to slip between both and the piston not moving along its central axis 41 because the screw rod mechanism does not function properly.

FIG. 5 shows a partly compressed drug reservoir 10 in a drug delivery device 50 according to the invention. In this embodiment, the problems of the prior art are solved by the introduction of an adhesion interface 51 in between the piston 11 and the flexible wall 22. The adhesion interface 51 keeps the flexible wall 22 conformed to the piston 11 surface and thus prevents slipping between both surfaces and folding of the flexible wall 22. The adhesion 51 may cover the complete piston 11 surface and/or the complete surface of the flexible wall 22. In a preferred embodiment the adhesion surface 51 only covers the parts of those surfaces which are designed to make contact with each other. Alternatively, the adhesion surface 51 may cover only part of the expected contact area.

The adhesion surface 51 may be a sticky surface applied to the piston 11 and/or flexible wall 22 surface. Alternatively, a magnetic coating may cover one of the surfaces, while the other surface is either magnetic or magnetizable. Another option is to use electrostatic interaction using an electrostatically charged polymer. A skilled person will be able to come up with many other possible ways of providing a suitable adhesion surface 51. The adhesion surface 51 used is preferably such that the drug reservoir 10 can still be removed from the adhered piston 11 surface for enabling refilling of the drug reservoir 10 without damaging the piston 11 or the drug reservoir. It is preferable that also the adhesion layer 51 keeps intact when the drug reservoir 10 and the piston 11 are separated. Alternatively, the drug reservoir 10 and/or the adhesion layer 51 are replaced when preparing the drug delivery device 50 for a second use.

Such an adhesion layer 51, which makes it possible to separate the surfaces without damaging the piston 11 or the reservoir 10, also enables a further option. When the reservoir 10 is completely or partly compressed and the piston 11 movement is reversed, the pressure inside the reservoir 10 will drop and body fluid will be sucked into the reservoir 10.

FIG. 6 shows a partly compressed drug reservoir 10 with a non-flexible part 61 in the flexible wall 22. The shape of the non-flexible part 61 follows the contours of the opposing piston 11 surface. In this embodiment this means that the non-flexible part 61 is dome shaped. An advantage of this non-flexible part 61 is that it cannot be folded or wrinkled When the piston pushes against the non-flexible part 61, its shape does not change. The flexible parts of the flexible wall 22 meanwhile ensure that the flexible wall 22 as a whole is still deformable and that drug reservoir 10 is still compressible.

The non-flexible part 61 ensures an optimal distribution of the pressure exerted by the piston 11 upon the flexible wall 22 and further facilitates the emptying of the reservoir 10. In addition, the preformed flexible wall 22 makes it easier to fill the reservoir to the right dose without the piston 11 already placed against the flexible wall 22. If a fully flexible drug reservoir 10 would be filled to the rim, the viscosity of the drug may result in too much resistance for the piston to start moving.

FIG. 7 shows a partly compressed drug reservoir 10 with multiple rigid parts 71 in the flexible wall. The rigid parts 71 are alternated with flexible parts 72 for providing the required flexibility to the flexible wall 22.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb “comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device having an opening, the device comprising: a reservoir comprising a movable portion; a piston; and an adhesion interface between the piston and the movable portion, wherein the device is configured so that, when the piston moves away from the opening, the adhesion interface keeps the movable portion conformed to the piston so that a substance external to the reservoir is drawn into the reservoir via the opening.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the movable portion defines a portion of a boundary of the reservoir.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured so that, when piston moves toward the opening, the adhesion interface keeps the movable portion conformed to the piston so that a substance contained in the reservoir exits the reservoir via a dispensing hole at the opening.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the adhesion interface is disposed on the piston.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the adhesion interface is disposed on the movable portion.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the adhesion interface comprises a polymer.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the adhesion interface comprises an electrostatically charged material.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the adhesion interface comprises a silicon based resin.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the adhesion interface comprises a magnetic material.
 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises a non-flexible portion at which the adhesion interface is located.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is swallowable.
 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is implantable.
 13. The device of claim 1, wherein device is a capsule.
 14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a rigid portion in which the opening is disposed.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the rigid portion is dome-shaped.
 16. The device of claim 1, wherein the opening is opposite to the piston.
 17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a microprocessor.
 18. The device of claim 17, further comprising a battery configured to power the microprocessor.
 19. The device of claim 1, further comprising an actuator configured to move the piston.
 20. The device of claim 19, further comprising a battery configured to power the actuator.
 21. The device of claim 1, further comprising a clock configured to trigger movement of the piston.
 22. The device of claim 1, further comprising a detector configured to trigger movement of the piston.
 23. The device of claim 22, wherein the detector comprises a pH sensor.
 24. The device of claim 22, wherein the detector comprises an electrical detector.
 25. The device of claim 22, wherein the detector comprises a chemical detector.
 26. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is compressible.
 27. A device having an opening, the device comprising: a reservoir comprising a movable portion; a piston; and an adhesion interface between the piston and the movable portion, wherein the device is configured so that, when the piston moves away from the opening, the adhesion interface keeps the movable portion conformed to the piston so that a volume defined by the reservoir increases and a substance external to the reservoir is drawn into the reservoir via the opening.
 28. A device having an opening, the device comprising: a reservoir comprising a movable portion; a piston; and an adhesion interface between the piston and the movable portion, wherein the device is configured so that, when the piston moves away from the opening, the adhesion interface keeps the movable portion conformed to the piston so that a pressure within the reservoir decreases and a substance external to the reservoir is drawn into the reservoir via the opening. 